Expandable shoe tree



March 30, 1954 H. BAscoM 2,673,360

EXPANDABLE SHOE TREE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.Avv

Filed June e, 1949 INVENT-OR;

HENRY BAscoM ATTORNEY.

March 3o, 1954 H BSCOM 2,673,360

EXPANDABLE SHOE TREE Filed June 6, 1949 2 Sheets-Shei 2 Illiblll lllINVENTOR'. HENRY BAscoM lav/74M] i@ ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXPANDABLE SHOE TREEHenry Bascom, St. Louis, Mo.

Application June 6, 1949, Serial No. 97,363

2 Claims.

My invention has relation to improvements in an expandable shoe tree,and it consists in the novel features of construction more fully setforth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide a shoe treeespecially adapted for holding shoes for the purpose of shining orcleaning the same.

The invention comprises a bracket and what I choose to term a shoe treeadapted to be mounted in said bracket, the tree terminating in aplurality of cooperating parts as will be more fully describedhereinafter.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a shoe tree that maybe expanded within the shoe so as to hold the shoe securely and in theapproximate shape that it would take on the foot of a wearer. It is thefurther object of the invention to provide such degree of expansibilityto the tree that it is readily adaptable to shoes of varying sizes,whether mens or womens shoes. These advantages, together with othersinherent in the invention, will be better apparent from a detaileddescription thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved shoe tree andsupport therefor in engagement with a shoe (shown dotted) Figure 2 is atop plan of the invention; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the bracketand shoe tree showing both its released and operative positions (thelatter dotted); Figure 4 is a vertical cross section taken on the line4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 2; Figure 6 is a vertical cross section taken on the line Ii-G ofFigure 2; Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on line '1 -'I ofFigure 1 showing the tree in operative position; Figure 8 is a sectionsimilar to that shown in Figure '7 with the tree in inoperativeposition; Figure 9 shows the application of my tree to a type of ladysshoe which does not embody a counter; and Figure 10 is a crosssectionaldetail taken on the line Ill- I0 of Figure 9.

Referring to the drawings (for the present Figures 1 to 8, incl.) Irepresents a bracket in which is mounted an adjustable supporting arm 2having a toe-piece L fixed to its lower extremity. The bracket I isprovided with a longitudinally disposed channel 3, the bottom of whichis provided with serrations 4 for engagement with complementaryserrations 5 formed on the up- 2 per surface of horizontal member 6 ofthe supporting arm 2. The bracket also has lateral anges 1, 'I providedwith screw holes whereby it may be secured to the underside of a chairseat S or an equivalent support. In order that the bracket I may besecured to a vertical supporting member, such as a wall, it is alsoprovided with a vertical component 8 having suitable perforations 9, 9to receive screws or bolts.

The side walls I6, I0 forming channel 3 have downwardly extended earsII, II in which is mounted a lever I2 having a horizontal component I3.The lever I2 has its free end within a slot I 4 formed in a cam memberI5 which is pivotally mounted at I 6 between ears I I, I I. The cam I5has a depending handle I'I from opposite sides of which project pins I8,I6 adapted to engage the rounded edge I9 of component I3. Thus, when thehandle is depressed the pins I3, I8 will ride over the rounded edge I9of the component I3 so as to lock the lever I2 in they position showndotted (Figure 3). At the same time the cam I5 will engage the undersideof the horizontal member 6 of supporting arm 2. This causes thesupporting arm to be firmly clamped between the cam member I5 and thechannel 3.

The arm 2 terminates at its lower end in a horizontal component which isbifurcated so as to receive a rib 2| centrally disposed within theelement 22 of the toe-piece L. Traversing the space s in the bifurcatedmember 20 are two pins 23 and 24 so disposed that the notched extremity25 of the rib 2| is slideable therebetween. In addition to the element22 the toe-piece L is also provided with side members 26, 26 pivotallymounted at 2l, 27 to the element 22.

It will be observed that the horizontal component 20 of the arm 2 isprovided with oppositely `disposed bosses 211, 271 provided respectivelywith inciined faces 28, 28 and the side memfbers 26, 26 are providedwith ribs 29, 29 terminating in nclined faces 30, 30 for cooperativeaction with the inclined faces 28, 28 on the member 20. It is quiteobvious that as the element 22 is moved inwardly on the horizontalcomponent 20 of the arm 2 the inclined faces 28 and 30 will be broughttogether and as the movement of the element 22r continues the sidemembers 26, 26 will be spread apart. The purpose of this action is tocompletely ll the shoe that is being fitted over the toe-piece L for thepurpose of shining the same (Figures 1 and 9).

After the shoe has been mounted on the toepiece L the operator depressesthe lever I1 to lock the arm 2 firmly to the bracket I and at 3 the sametime to lock the lever I2 into the position shown dotted in Figure 3.The locking of the lever I2 securely holds the shoe on to the toe-pieceL so that the operator may Work on the shoe either to shine or clean theshoe as desired. It will be observed that there are a plurality of pins3| disposed in the lever I2 so as to project slightly from the rearthereof to assist in holding the shoe in place. It will also be observedthat the lever I2 has a series of indentations 32 formed on its rearsurface which will assist in holding certain types of shoes(particularly feminine shoes) which have only a strap 33 at the rearinstead of the customary counter.

'Ihe lever member I2 is the heel engaging piece and together with thetoe-piece L constitute the shoe tree as a whole.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a shoe last thatis particularly adapted for purposes of shining or otherwisereconditioning shoes which hold the shoe securely in place and at thesame time completely lls the same for the purpose of facilitating theoperations performed thereon.

It will be observed that I have also provided oppositely disposed handlepieces 3d, 34 on the shoe tree 2 to facilitate the handling thereof andremove from the supporting member S. I have also provided oppositelydisposed clips 35, 35 on the shoe tree 2 wherein the shoe laces may belodged to keep them clear of the operations when a shoe is being workedon.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An expandable shoe tree including a supporting bracket, an adjustablesupporting arm carried by said bracket, said arm terminating in atoe-piece, a heel-piece carried by said bracket, said toe-piece andheel-piece together comprising a shoe tree the'heel-pieoe including alever arm, means for locking the supporting arm to the bracket, saidlocking means having an element engaging the lever arm of the heelpieceto move the same outwardly from the toepiece.

2. An expandable shoe tree including a sup- References Cited in the leof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 657,634 WilcoxSept. 11, 1900 750,570 Benkert Jan. 26, 1904 754,072 Kinsey et al. Mar.8,V 1904 784,207 Dunn Mar. 7, 1905 795,871 Watson Aug. 1, 1905 827,391Petrillo July 31, 1906 830,632 Anderson Sept. 1,1, 1906 838,198 MillerDec. 11, 1906 838,234 Brosnam Dec. 11, 1906 866,542 Waldron Sept. 17,1907 954,828 Sonntag Apr. l2, 1910 1,104,396 Walsh July 21, 19141,346,008 Di Maggio July 6, 1920 1,416,378 Pedersen et al May 16, 19221,862,600 Long June 14, 1932 2,446,931 Jackson Aug. 10, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 32,538 Switzerland Feb. 2, 1905 40,746`Switzerland Sept. 5, 1907 527,159 Germany June 13, 1931 733,923 FranceJuly 19, 1932 751,516 France June 19, 1933 515,848 Great Britain Dec.15, 1939

